Those running the College Football Playoff wanted to institute a new sports tradition by scheduling the semifinal games on New Year’s Eve. The tradition they inaugurated was slightly different: sports fans not watching the semifinal games because it’s freaking New Year’s Eve and who the hell wants to stay in and watch TV? The CFP might finally be acceding to reality.

For the first time, CFP executive director Bill Hancock allowed for the possibility that stubbornness and illogic are not virtues:

“We have time, but we will be thinking about whether New Year’s Eve is the right way to go. What are the alternatives, which I don’t want to get into. What might be best to give us the possibility of more fans being able to watch the games?”

This change of heart no doubt comes after some significant pressure from ESPN, who after the ratings tanked found themselves on the hook for a $20 million shortfall between what they promised advertisers and what they actually delivered. ESPN had to functionally eat that loss by giving away free ad time to make up the difference.